Ornamentation of textile fabrics



Dec. 1, 1959 M. LEVY 2,914,875

ORNAMENTATION 0F TEXTILE FABRICS 3 Filed March 1, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet :1

1, 1959 M. LEVY ORNAMENTATION 0F TEXTiLE FABRICS Dec.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1956 Dec. 1, 1959 I M. L VY 2,914,875

' ORNAMENTATION 0F TE XTILE FABRICS Filedllarch 1, .1956 Y 4Sheets-Sheet 3 D6C. 1, LEVY 2,914,875

QRNAMENTATION OF TEXTILE FABRICS Filed March 1, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fQRPIAMENTATION .OF TEXTILE FABRICS' I Manchesten EnglandApplication-March 1,.1956, Serihl No. 568,912

" jigsaw 19 7-31- This invention has for its object to provide a methodand means whereby decorative effects can be applied to textile fabricsin a simple and relatively inexpensive manner.

According to the invention decorative patterns are imparted to textilematerials in a continuous manner from placed side by side or spacedapart and brought into contact with the fabric, so as to apply thedesign where required.

The transfers may be used inthe form of reels, from which the strips areguided to means for'applying heat and pressure, through which means theypass in contact with the textile material. The reels may be mounted onspindles or pins on which they can turn to allow the strips to come offfreely, with means for spacing the reels if necessary, and if desiredwith guides for the strips passing to where they make contact with thetextile material. Alternatively the reels may rest in a trough orchannel in which they can turn as the strips are wound off, in whichcase there may be slots in a side wall of the trough @Patent or channelto guide the strips leaving the reels. If desired two parallel rows ofreels may be used, in which case two adjacent transfer strips may bemade to overlap 'while in contact with the textile material.

The application of heat and pressure may be effected by means of rollersbetween which the textile material and the transfer strips pass, one orboth of the rollers being heated, e.g. by means of steam or electricity.Where a double thickness of textile material is used, as in the case ofknitted materials in tubular form, it may be possible to apply transferssimultaneously on both sides of the material, using two heated rollers.Means may be provided for adjusting the pressure between the rollers.Alternatively, a roller may be used for pressing the materials against aheated table.

The invention is applicable to knitted and woven fabrics, and provideslasting decorative effects much more the arrow A in machine.

The machine 1 is driven by an electric motor 2 through a reduction gear3 with a pulley 4 from which a belt 2 9 ,8 5 Tia-tented Dec. 11, I959drives a pulley ,5 on a shaft-6. -A pulley 611 on the shaft6 drives apulley -7 onone end of azheated roller 15 which at its-other end carriesa gear wheel 41 driving a wheel 42 on another heated roller 16. A pulley8.on .theshaft 6drives a pulley 9 -on --one of a pair offeltcoveredrollers 1-1, 12, which have a peripheral speed slightly higher :thanthat of the heated rollers 15, .16.

:A ,pulley 10 on the shaft 6 drives asimilar pair of felt coveredtrollers 13, 14 at'the back of the machine through 'a.pulley'10a.

of transfers pass to the heated rollers 15, 16 on either side of thefabric 43, further guide rollers 21, 22 and 23, 24 being provided toensure that the transfers are in contact with the rollers 15, 16 over alarge part of the periphery thereof, so as to be heated before touchingthe fabric end to be drawn away from the fabric as it leaves the nip.The transfer strips come from reels 25, 26 and 27, 28 arranged instaggered relationship, and after passing over the rollers 21, 24 aredrawn away by the felt rollers 11, 12, and 13, 14 which keep the stripsin tension owing to their speeds being higher than that of the rollers15, 16.

The reels 25-28 are of continuous paper strips bearing designs in one ormore colours in thermoplastic or thermosetting inks which are softenedby the heat from the rollers 15, 16 and transferred to the outersurfaces of the double layer of cloth 43. The imprint on the cloth setsas it cools on leaving the rollers and is then quite fast.

The heated rollers 15, 16 are hollow, with tubular ends running inbearings 37, 38 and 39, 40. The bearings 37-40 are mounted in slides 35,36, the bearings 37, 38 of the roller 15 being adjustable by means ofscrews 47 which bear on the bearings through springs 48, for the purposeof adjusting the pressure between the rollers. Passing through therollers 15, 16 are rods 49 supported at their ends by brackets 50 in thecase of roller 15 and brackets 51 in the case of roller 16. Each rod 49carries an assembly of electric heating elements 52 to which current issupplied by leads 53, the rods 49 being stationary. The fabric is guidedbetween the rollers 15, 16 by guides 54.

The transfer reels 25, 26 at the front of the machine are arranged intwo rows in staggered relationship. Each reel is carried by two pins 55on metal plugs 56 inserted in the ends of the reel core. The pins 55enter oblique slots 57 in metal strips 58, the ends of which have slots59 open at the bottom to fit over threaded rods 60 extending along themachine. The strips 58 are located by nuts 61 threaded on to the rods60. The reels 27, 28 at the back of the machine are similarly arranged.Any number of reels may be used, depending on the widths of the transferstrips and the fabric. In the case of a single layer of fabric the reelsat the back of the machine may be dispensed with. The transfer stripsmay be spaced apart if necessary, or may be close together or mayoverlap. With this arrangement exhausted reels can be replaced veryquickly, and the machine may if necessary be stopped for the shortperiod required to change a reel without ill effects.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for imparting decorative patterns to textile materials,comprising a pair of rollers, means for heating the rollers, means forsupporting a roll of fabric above the rollers, and for guiding thefabric to the nip between the rollers, means for supporting a pluralityof reels of expendable transfer strips in front of and behind therollers, the reels being arranged in rows in staggered relationship atboth the front and the back of the rollers, such reels supporting meanscomprising pairs of rods parallel to the rollers, adjustable spacingmeans on the rods, and pairs of strips each having slots to fit on therods between the spacing means and oblique slots for receiving pins atthe ends of transfer reels, means forguid ing the transfer strips sideby side from the reels at the back of the rollers to the rear roller andfrom the reels at the front of the rollers to the front roller, eachstrip making contact with the roller over a large part of the surfacethereof and the fabric passing between the strips surrounding the tworollers and making contact with the strips at the nip between therollers, means for driving the rollers, and means for applying pressureto the rollers. 7

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, and having pairs of felt-coveredrollers beneath the heated rollers, means for driving the felt-coveredrollers at a peripheral speed exceeding that of the heated rollers, andmeans for guiding the transfer strips from the heated rollers to thefelt-covered rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS767,193 Witham Aug. 9, 1904 1,217,409 Carlson Feb. 27, 1917 2,442,934Pequet June 8, 1948 2,501,539 Ruth Mar. 21, 1950 2,559,649 Little et a1July 10, 1951 2,586,905 Bates Feb. 26, 1952 2,691,326 McArn Oct. 12,1954

